31 year old ditching the office job for RTW trip!

11.
Posted bySteve79(Respected Member 334 posts) 6y
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Hi Martin,

Sounds like you are going to have a great time. I left the UK in September 2009 at the age of 30 for exactly the same reasons as you, and have just returned. You have definitely made the right decision. I've just got back and am already saving to go away again!

Get ready for the time of your life!

12.
Posted byFrey201(Budding Member 69 posts) 6y
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Steve,

Thats so good to hear thank you for the reassurance. So where were the best places you went? I dont have a massive budget so was thinking countries where my pound will last a little longer in South East Asia and South America. Also stopping off in New Zealand and getting a job for a few months maybe. Did you work anywhere? Can you recomend any group tours or voluntary placements? I think maybe a couple of these group tours may be a good way of meeting people initially?

Cheers,

Martin.

13.
Posted bySteve79(Respected Member 334 posts) 6y
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No worries Martin! My route was as follows: Thailand - Laos - Vietnam - Cambodia - Thailand again - Indonesia - Singapore - Australia - New Zealand - Fiji - back to Australia to work - back to New Zealand to work and travel - Indonesia - Malaysia - home.

To be honest I loved everywhere, the only place that slightly disappointed me was Australia, but I think that might be because I went there with the highest expectations, and also it was very expensive. That said I did work in Sydney for six months, and got a job very easily, which was well paid.

Unfortunately I didn't make it to South America, but will definitely go there at some point as I met so many people travelling who loved it.

The whole of South East Asia was so great. Very cheap and a mix of everything - new cultures, great beaches and coastline (Thailand and Vietnam), big bustling cities (Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh), beautiful rugged scenery (Laos and Lombok in Indo) and some real eye opening sights (Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng in Cambodia). I was comfortably living off £150 a week there, staying in nice hotels, eating out every day, going out drinking most nights!

New Zealand is lovely, if it was closer I could quite happily live there. The people are so friendly, it is very laid back, and very beautiful. I worked there in Auckland just for a few weeks, although of all of New Zealand Auckland may be my least favourite place (it is quite atypical of the country, just a large city, a quarter of the country's population live there).

Fiji, well Fiji was almost paradise!

I started my travels in Asia with friends, but we met so many people along the way that when we split up I was always travelling with others. The only place I did an organised tour was NZ, where I did the Kiwi Experience. I'd heard some dodgy rumours about the Kiwi Experience, but for me it was brilliant, saw places I probably would have seen otherwise and made plenty of new friends.

I also know a few people who did voluntary work in Asia, helping out at schools and nurseries, that kind of thing.

14.
Posted byFrey201(Budding Member 69 posts) 6y
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Wow sounds amazing. You make me feel like heading to the airport just reading that lol. I am glad that Asia is so cheap, should be a wee bit easier on the bank balance. I think I am gonna spend around 3 months there.

As I am over 30 I can only get a working holiday visa for New Zealand through Bunac. What kind of job did you get there? Do you think itd be easy enough to find work for a few months there? Somone in my work has told me to go to a place called Nelson, did you go there? My first option was to try and get some work teaching English in Vietnam but it seems difficult to work the timescales involved and contracts around my trip so New Zealand seems the only other option. Not that I am complaining as I have had nothing but good reports about the country.

Yeah South America was never high on my agenda before but after doing some research its actually the place I wanna see most lol. Cant wait to get started!

Martin.

15.
Posted byDannyBoyle(First Time Poster 1 posts) 6y
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Hey Martin, You go brother!

Like it. Ditching the office job is definately the way to go. I have just started my travels and certainly don´t miss the commute. I am in Spain at the moment doing some Kite Surfing and loving the sunshine before heading on to Asia to do diving in Koh Tao.

I haven´t travelled properly before so was a little unsure of where to go but I got some good advice off -snip- and there were lots of ideas to go through.

At least you know that what every you do decide to do, it will amazing.

Good luck with your travels might see you out there.

[ Edit: Sorry, no promos please. ]

16.
Posted byboozyfloozy_si(Budding Member 40 posts) 6y
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Hi All

Wow - so I'm not the only one doing this!!!

I'm taking voluntary redundancy in July and plan to fill a backpack straight after the Monza Grand Prix (I'm a massive fan!) in September and head for S E Asia and then onwards.

I've got no firm plan or time frame - want to see where life takes me and return home when I am either knackered, bored or skint!

The problem that I have is that I will be unable to work my way around (especially Oz) as I am in my 30's, so will be totally reliant on my bank account and less likely to hang around in one place for months if I can't fund my way with work.

Then funds dependant, I was thinking about NZ, Fiji, Hawaii, Central and South America.

I'm pretty easygoing and that is a BIG wishlist, so I am open to change!!!

Does any of that appeal to you?

Please drop me a line so we can talk "business" if anyone fancies travelling some of that with me or even just meeting up in a specific place

Cheers

Sim

17.
Posted bySteve79(Respected Member 334 posts) 6y
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I worked Telecom NZ doing communication and press work. I think the longer you plan on staying somewhere the easier it is to get work, ie if an employer knows you are going to spend your entire 12 months visa in one place you could probably get work without a problem.

Yes I went to Nelson. Really nice town. Gets good weather, is on the South Island of New Zealand which is awesome. It is a decent sized town too for New Zealand.

18.
Posted byboozyfloozy_si(Budding Member 40 posts) 6y
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Quoting Steve79

I worked Telecom NZ doing communication and press work. I think the longer you plan on staying somewhere the easier it is to get work, ie if an employer knows you are going to spend your entire 12 months visa in one place you could probably get work without a problem.

Thanks Steve - sadly I am not able to get a WHV as I am over 30 so don't qualify to work my way around! Shame really as would have loved to work my way around!

19.
Posted byFrey201(Budding Member 69 posts) 6y
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Thanks for all the support guys.

Sim have not thought about the Work NewZealand option with Bunac which means u can get a visa upto the age of 35? Im not sure how difficult it would be to get one of these visas does anyone know?

Sim how much are you thinking of budgeting then if you're not working?

20.
Posted byjoker696969(Budding Member 14 posts) 6y
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hi i'm m 35 and in the process of selling the house to go rtw austrailia , nz , miami ,ny, hong kong are places i'm planning on will probably be others am looking to go for about a year would love to here from anyone wanting a travelling companion reason i'm going is work is boring n monotanus and am fed up so thought if i dont do it now i never will i believe it either makes u or breaks u